The council shall consist of the following 20 voting members, appointed by the commissioner of human services except as otherwise specified, and three nonvoting members:
- two members of the house of representatives, appointed in the following sequence: the first from the majority party appointed by the speaker of the house and the second from the minority party appointed by the minority leader. Of these two members, one member must represent a district outside of the seven-county metropolitan area, and one member must represent a district that includes the seven-county metropolitan area. The appointment by the minority leader must ensure that this requirement for geographic diversity in appointments is met;
- two members of the senate, appointed in the following sequence: the first from the majority party appointed by the senate majority leader and the second from the minority party appointed by the senate minority leader. Of these two members, one member must represent a district outside of the seven-county metropolitan area and one member must represent a district that includes the seven-county metropolitan area. The appointment by the minority leader must ensure that this requirement for geographic diversity in appointments is met;
- one member appointed by the Board of Pharmacy;
- one member who is a physician appointed by the Minnesota Medical Association;
- one member representing opioid treatment programs, sober living programs, or substance use disorder programs licensed under chapter 245G;
- one member appointed by the Minnesota Society of Addiction Medicine who is an addiction psychiatrist;
- one member representing professionals providing alternative pain management therapies, including, but not limited to, acupuncture, chiropractic, or massage therapy;
- one member representing nonprofit organizations conducting initiatives to address the opioid epidemic, with the commissioner's initial appointment being a member representing the Steve Rummler Hope Network, and subsequent appointments representing this or other organizations;
- one member appointed by the Minnesota Ambulance Association, who is serving with an ambulance service as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, or paramedic;
- one member representing the Minnesota courts who is a judge or law enforcement officer;
- one public member who is a Minnesota resident and who is in opioid addiction recovery;
- two members representing Indian tribes, one representing the Ojibwe tribes and one representing the Dakota tribes;
- one member representing an urban American Indian community;
- one public member who is a Minnesota resident and who is suffering from chronic pain, intractable pain, or a rare disease or condition;
- one mental health advocate representing persons with mental illness;
- one member representing the Minnesota Hospital Association;
- one member representing a local health department; and
- the commissioners of human services, health, and corrections, or their designees, who shall be ex officio nonvoting members of the council.
The commissioner of human services shall coordinate the commissioner's appointments to provide geographic, racial, and gender diversity, and shall ensure that at least one-third of council members appointed by the commissioner reside outside of the seven-county metropolitan area. Of the members appointed by the commissioner, to the extent practicable, at least one member must represent a community of color disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic.
The following legislators have been appointed to the commission: Reps. Erin Koegel and Dave Baker, and Senators Mark Koran and Chris Eaton.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 256.042, subdivision 2, paragraph (c), the initial term for members of the Opiate Epidemic Response Advisory Council established under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.042, identified in Minnesota Statutes, section 256.042, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clauses (1), (3), (5), (7), (9), (11), (13), (15), and (17), ends September 30, 2022. The initial term for members identified under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.042, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clauses (2), (4), (6), (8), (10), (12), (14), and (16), ends September 30, 2023 (see Laws of Minn. 2021, 1st Sp. Sess., chap. 7, art. 11, sec. 48).